There is much debate regarding how Republicans ought to handle the fiscal cliff. They are in a showdown with President Obama as to who will blink first.

So my suggestion to them is to take a page from Obama's playbook and kick the can one more time. They should extend the status quo for one more month, to February 1, 2013. The reason behind this strategy is that President Obama is legally required to deliver a budget in January. What that would do is force him to commit his budget to paper. He would be forced to blink.

The Democratic Senate has gone for years without passing a budget. And the President's last budget was tossed aside by the Senate under Majority Leader Harry Reid by a unanimous, bipartisan vote of 0-99. Obama got through his first term by repeatedly blaming his predecessor.

Now, having been re-elected, his predecessor is himself. Unrestrained by the need to run for re-election ever again, he has a totally free hand. His modus operandi is to "lead from behind", but that won't work now. So if the Republicans extend the status quo until he has been forced to perform his presidential duties, they will force him to blink first. That will put the onus for what follows squarely upon his shoulders. All they have to do is say "Yes Sir, Mr. President, after you". They can smile and be sweetly polite.

If he acts, as he has been hinting, in campaign mode as he has done for the last four years, he will bear the legacy forevermore. Bill Clinton accepted sane Republican fiscal reform when he lost to Newt Gingrich's Contract with America. Clinton got to claim the credit anyway because that change took place at mid-term for the presidential election cycle.

The fraudulently elected person who occupies the White House has a history of blaming everybody else and does nothing positive. In that, he is a product of his generation - NEVER accept responsibility.

And to think he will not run again, in violation of the Constitution, is ludicrous. He has almost absolute power; he will not surrender it peacefully or willingly.

4
posted on 11/30/2012 8:38:31 AM PST
by NTHockey
(Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners)

If we avoid the cliff, it's clear that Obama will only agree to do so with tax hikes and fake promises for future spending cuts that will never happen. We saw this a year ago; same old same old, see you again at the next cliff when the debt ceiling is inevitably reached.

If we go over, we get massive tax hikes and massive spending cuts. Obama will likely try to cover his rear by trimming the tax hikes with a middle class cut. The rest would stand.

Honestly, it looks to me like the choice is tax hikes with fake spending cuts or tax hikes with actual spending cuts. I'm starting to think the cliff is the better choice for the long term. Lots of short term pain though.

5
posted on 11/30/2012 8:39:58 AM PST
by pepsi_junkie
(Who is John Galt?)

Just wait . . . they’ll start prepping and priming Michelle to run in 2016. 8 More Years. Woman. And Black. And O’s Wife. IF being First Lady qualified Hillary in the eyes of voters, what’s to stop them from running Moochelle?

6
posted on 11/30/2012 8:43:15 AM PST
by Qwackertoo
(Going into Politic Free Zone Momma Grizzly hibernation for a while after this week, maybe forever.)

This ain't rocket science here. The ONLY item that the Dems care about here is the raising of the debt ceiling. The rest of the rhetoric is purely for show. If there is one issue that the Republicans must hold fast to, it is this:

DO NOT RAISE THE DEBT CEILING!

Let Obama have anything else he wants, only take away his ability to spend money he does not have.

9
posted on 11/30/2012 8:45:12 AM PST
by Hoodat
("As for God, His way is perfect" - Psalm 18:30)

RE :”So my suggestion to them is to take a page from Obama’s playbook and kick the can one more time. They should extend the status quo for one more month, to February 1, 2013. The reason behind this strategy is that President Obama is legally required to deliver a budget in January. What that would do is force him to commit his budget to paper. He would be forced to blink. .... Unrestrained by the need to run for re-election ever again, he has a totally free hand. His modus operandi is to “lead from behind”, but that won't work now. So if the Republicans extend the status quo until he has been forced to perform his presidential duties, they will force him to blink first. That will put the onus for what follows squarely upon his shoulders. All they have to do is say “Yes Sir, Mr. President, after you”. They can smile and be sweetly polite. ..... If he acts, as he has been hinting, in campaign mode as he has done for the last four years, he will bear the legacy forevermore”

I dont even understand what he is suggesting “Kick the can down the road” ??? What does that mean?? Give in to that set of demands he made yesterday for one month? Or just the tax cut extension? The writer should be specific because rounding up votes right now will be tough to do..

I think his point is that the Reid Senate will reject Os budget getting the House off the hook. Interesting idea.

"Honestly, it looks to me like the choice is tax hikes with fake spending cuts or tax hikes with actual spending cuts."

The Dems entire future is premised upon an out-of-control entitlement state where they get to dole out the goodies, and the Repubs are the meanies who want to take it away from you. We talk about the future of the country decades down the road, the country we will leave for our kids and grandkids, the value of hard work, etc... the Dems provide instant gratification. Instant gratification is winning big time.

Republicans will increasingly lose national elections and races in swing states I fear, no matter how enticing the candidate, as long as this exists. Anything that punctures this entitlement state is a desirable thing.

19
posted on 11/30/2012 9:20:25 AM PST
by Qbert
("The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry" - William F. Buckley, Jr.)

agree to his tax hikes and nothing else, no more bailouts and then we can say we went with what obama wanted, we tried to work but they gave us nothing, they have not brought the debt down and now they have the top 2@ paying more and it;s not enough so now they want those who pay less to pay more.

Oh and will this pathetic cowardly GOP call out this media, the corrupt bastards have led for years, given us a load of crap Dems, they have twisted the truth.
Call them out, name names, make AD’s showing their bias and call them out on their own networks.

enough is enough and if folks on here and other sites and the GOP is not going to go after the media then kiss 2016 good bye

“And to think he will not run again, in violation of the Constitution, is ludicrous. He has almost absolute power; he will not surrender it peacefully or willingly.”

No, I’m sorry, but yours is the ludicrous assertion. He doesn’t have anything close to absolute power, even though he might think he does. If he really did, we wouldn’t be commenting on this article, because it wouldn’t exist. He’d already have done whatever he wanted, because he wouldn’t need to screw around with Congress or worry about public fallout.

Also, he has no need to try and make an end run around the Constitution, when he could just put Michelle Obama up in 2016 and all the lemmings would rush to vote for her.

Well, then it would seem, even if he submits one, he probably wouldn’t care if it had a snowball’s chance in hell of passing. He could scribble something on a coctail napkin, wipe his nose with it, and toss it to Harry Reid to satisfy the legalities. What’s it matter to him? He’ll never take any blame for anything as long as the media has his back.

Obama and his fellow Communists in the Congress and Media will drive this country off the cliff just as surely as the unions bankrupted the Hostess company. They are all of the same mentality. If they have to utterly destroy this country to impose Communism, so be it, they’ll do it.

25
posted on 11/30/2012 10:11:36 AM PST
by TexasRepublic
(Socialism is the gospel of envy and the religion of thieves)

And I didn’t mean “you” as in you. I meant “you” as in the idiots who keep voting to get back at “The Evil Rich”. The Middle Class is nothing more than the cash cow that creates a nice buffer between the Nobles and the Peasants.

26
posted on 11/30/2012 10:13:54 AM PST
by Eagle of Liberty
(Be the Enemy Within the Enemy Within...)

If he really did, we wouldnt be commenting on this article, because it wouldnt exist. Hed already have done whatever he wanted, because he wouldnt need to screw around with Congress or worry about public fallout.

Well, he is trying for it. Geitner's proposal is asking for NO Congressional approval for future debt ceiling increases.

28
posted on 11/30/2012 10:17:19 AM PST
by Eagle of Liberty
(Be the Enemy Within the Enemy Within...)

And we have another writer who believes that the Democrat leaders think like him. He may care about a realistic budget, but the Democrats? Please. Obama will just pull out the old smoke and mirrors. The leaders of the Democrat party are grifters.....con men....pickpockets. We have got to stop thinking that they care even a little bit about this country or our people. They are out to enrich themselves. They pretend to be Democrats to get elected so they can enrich themselves. The real crooks go for the big money. And the biggest money is our federal treasury.

35
posted on 11/30/2012 12:36:32 PM PST
by blueunicorn6
("A crack shot and a good dancer")

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all, By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul; But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die."

36
posted on 11/30/2012 5:13:03 PM PST
by DuncanWaring
(The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)

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